


Great Lengths

by jacobby



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 11:18:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11207001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacobby/pseuds/jacobby
Summary: Having a soulmate travelling around the galaxy isn't what Katsuki Yuuri expected at all.--My piece for the @ YOIcollabs game over on Twitter!





	Great Lengths

**Author's Note:**

> This piece would not have been possible without the help my lovely groupmates! 
> 
> [stef](archiveofourown.org/users/sutcliffonfire)  
> [kathari](http://archiveofourown.org/users/katharialva)  
> [nebu](https://twitter.com/nebulousvoid)  
> [artemis](https://twitter.com/_punkbunny)  
> [lucy](https://twitter.com/victuuristan)  
> [tami](https://twitter.com/tamisumimi)
> 
> I love them all and it's been absolutely amazing creating this with them! I'd like to thank Priya for making me a part of this. Here's to more collabs to come!

“It’s only been ten months since you left,” Viktor said, “your face is still all over wanted posters. Are you sure you’re ready to go in as a fugitive?”

“I was never even ready as an officer.” Yuuri cocked his gun, taking his place beside Viktor as he did. “How does it feel like to have your ‘most wanted’ spotlight stolen by your soulmate?”

“The most handsome man in the universe?” Viktor rested his chin on his knuckles in deep thought. “Could be worse.”

“Gross.” Yuri didn’t even hesitate as he jumped out first, with his pistols loaded and already aiming at the first people alarmed at their arrival. “Let’s rock this joint.”

\--

The prospect of having a soulmate had always bothered Katsuki Yuuri the moment the adornment on his chest appeared. It was too sudden, and almost unbelievable that a flurry of crazy thoughts was immediately followed by blacking out in the middle of their bathroom. The loud _thud_ echoed across their house, and his mother was beside him with some ice.

“I don’t understand,” Yuuri said, after a long talk with his parents ensued, “you’re implying that he’s seen me, or that I’ve seen him—which is clearly not the case. But now, the map on my chest shows that he’s galaxies away. How’s that even possible?”

His parents did their best to answer, but they were clearly as lost as Yuuri was.

“Through a camera, perhaps?” his dad suggested.

“That’s not a very good example for our son, Toshiya-kun,” his mother suggested, although there was a fond expression on her face.

Yuuri sighed, and went about the days like usual.

If his soulmate _was_ thousands of lightyears away now, surely he wouldn’t come bothering Yuuri anytime soon. He probably went away the moment he realized he was stuck with a guy like Yuuri. His ongoing mantra was that he simply wasn’t worth the travel back, as depressing as it sounded. If there was a slight pang in his chest every time these words clouded his brain, he paid no heed to it.

His mother thought to regale him with tales about the stars—a small effort Yuuri didn’t want to get to him—and what having a soulmate would do for him. This often happened during dinner time, when Yuuri was fresh off the hot baths and was in a good mood for some katsudon.

“You can make the stars your home, Yuuri. This man seems to always be moving about,” she said one evening.

“Right” was the only appropriate answer Yuuri could think of. He never meant it to sound so dismissive.

Mari, having a soulmate of her own, said it would be exhausting. Absolutely and completely exhausting; to the point where she almost scratched out the diagrams of constellations and planets on her thigh just to get it over with.

“That’s not very helpful, nee-chan.”

“It _is_ the truth. Just trying to look out for my little brother.”

Yuuri was silent for a moment before a small “thanks” escaped from his lips.

Years had passed, and the topic of a soulmate had remained hidden behind all the stress Yuuri had gotten himself under just to finish his training in the Intergalactic Peacekeeping Academy and finally take his post as an officer in the Protean Armada. It was only when Yuuri looked at himself, chest bare and the marks moving, that he would actually remember that he _belonged_ to someone.

He was 22 when he finally got in. 24 when he was promoted to captain.

Phichit and Celestino celebrated with him, raising their beers as they cheered Yuuri’s name.

“Congratulations, my boy!” Celestino clapped him in the back.

“Thank you, sir,” Yuuri replied.

“Your title is well-deserved. I have never seen anyone work as hard as you did.”

“Yuuri would even go as far as five galaxies away if it means catching the bad guys.” Phichit took another gulp of his beer. “This guy doesn’t joke around when it comes to his job.”

“Can’t joke around when it comes to saving the literal galaxy,” Yuuri said. His beer was almost left untouched, if not for the constant jabs Phichit gave him to just _take a few sips, it’ll be fine._

“And it’s _literally galaxies away_ from the galaxy you’re supposed to be protecting.”

“Pirates _have_ been becoming rampant.” Celestino massaged his temples with one hand. “It’s been giving me a headache. The paperwork is a mess.”

“Any more news on that ‘most wanted guy in the entire universe’ story? I hear his ship had been spotted around in our quadrant,” Phichit said.

“Sounds like more work.”

“I’m sure whoever and wherever that guy is, our new _Captain_ will find him.”

Except Yuuri never found him.

Because—

“It’s you.”

If Yuuri wasn’t able to comprehend where the voice came from, he had a good reason. The alcohol wasn’t enough of an excuse, but he really wished it was.

Instead, he got his entire chest glowing, the light overflowing even from the layers of clothing he had on. He was stunned when it glowed through his collar, and directly towards his eyes, blinding him for a second, before the illumination died down a little.

“What the—”

He could feel the light. It was warm on his cheeks. Warm on his nose. Warm on his lips.

He blinked.

He blinked again.

And again. And again and again and again.

Yuuri never found the most dangerous man in the universe, because that man was the one to find _him._

“Hello,” the man said.

“Wow,” Yuuri replied.

The other man was cautious as he took each step, closer and closer to Yuuri. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“You found me.” Yuuri wasn’t sure what else to reply. Yuuri didn’t even know who this man was.

“I’m Viktor. Captain of The Madness Crew.” Viktor scratched the back of his head as he eyed Yuuri from head to feet. “Y’know, I’m supposed to be the most wanted man in the universe, and yet, all I ever needed was to be wanted by you.”

“Er… that’s nice. Y-Yuuri. Katsuki Yuuri.”

“I know.” Viktor’s expression was soft, almost sad, knowing.

“So, you’re him, huh?” Yuuri could feel the blush creeping back up. The intensity of the glows on their chests fluctuated, but in unison with Viktor’s. It was as if their lives were suddenly fine-tuned to be in synchronicity together.

“I’m who?”

“The Man of the Stars. My mother used to call you that. You and I never…er, met. But she thought you’d always be moving around what with the marks on my chest showing a different galaxy every time we checked.”

It wasn’t until Viktor heaved a long sigh that Yuuri was made aware of their proximity. He could feel the other man’s breath tingle his cheek with warmth.

“You actually…looked for me?” Yuuri wasn’t sure about all the feelings simultaneously overpowering both his heart and his head. It should confuse him, should send him running away. He was scared and cautious and doubtful all at the same time. But he was also in awe; and if he were going to be completely honest with himself, the relief that washed over him at the sight of his soulmate was almost enough to ignore every other feeling he had.

“Looked for you. Looked out for you. Anything, really, just to make sure you were safe.”

“So…kinda like stalking?”

Viktor’s face immediately switched from suave to apologetic, to a mishmash of ‘oh shit’ and ‘I fucked up,’ until he saw the grin on Yuuri’s face.

Yuuri laughed out loud as Viktor smiled shyly, embarrassed with how he was just then.

“I guess kinda like stalking? Is it still stalking if the universe drew me a map of your whereabouts literally irreversibly on my chest?”

“You can always choose to ignore it.”

“Now, why would I, if the moment I first saw your face was the moment I knew there really was something worth fighting for in this universe.”

Yuuri blushed.

They decided to go somewhere a lot more discreet. Viktor kept on insisting animately that he wasn’t stalking Yuuri at all, to which Yuuri just smiled knowingly.

Reclaiming land in the middle of space was one of the best feats the human species has ever accomplished. The Protean Armada’s Headquarters was a planetary system of reclaimed land. It was too risky, Viktor pointed out, if they were to hop from the recreational district towards the dorms. So they settled by a lake in the forests, where no officer could be found since most were too busy entertaining themselves in clubs and bars.

“It was scary finding out that you were my soulmate, you know. I didn’t know what to do. I was a guy on the run from the Armada. It was all the more frustrating when you actually joined.” Viktor looked ahead on the starry reflection on the water. “So I made sure you were safe. That you were okay. It’s the least I could do after subjecting you to those marks.”

“It was scary for me, too.”

A moment of silence passed by them. Normally, it would have been awkward; a situation Yuuri would have avoided by leaving. But now…it felt easy to sit there and enjoy the other man’s company. It was by no means the most comfortable he had been, but he never felt compelled to keep on adjusting himself for Viktor.

“What made you decide to look for me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why now? And why here?”

“You’re a Captain now, right?”

“So?”

Viktor heaved a sigh. “There’s really no easy way to say this.”

“Can you please just tell me? This isn’t helping your cause.”

“My cause?”

“You wanna date me, right? Your cause is that you want me. Not helping if you’ll keep on scaring me like that.”

“Wow.” A smile spread across Viktor’s lips. They locked eyes again, and the gleams on their chest brightened for a second before they returned to their steady warm glow.

Yuuri expected something cliché; like he was some lost hero to a weird prophecy Viktor has been guarding all his life, and it was finally the time to send him to the planet he was meant to save. He didn’t expect it to be the one of the most mundane reasons to exist in the entire universe: selfishness.

“The Protean Armada? How...—no. But—”

“It’s not the entire police force but the people behind the funds, who’s backing the armada. They destroyed my planet Yuuri. They took our core for their own. I can’t let you fall deeper into the hands of the people calling themselves the heroes, when it’s the complete opposite.”

“What are you expecting me to do?”

Viktor was silent. He tapped his forefinger on his lips three times before inhaling deeply, as if bracing himself for something. “If it were completely up to me, I’d suggest you come with me.”

“And be a pirate? What—”

“But,” Viktor interrupted, his voice firm and commanding. Then his expression warmed, gaze on Yuuri’s face. “It’s not up to me. You’re right. I have a cause, and my cause is you. The stars led me to you, and I hope you give me the chance to prove I am worthy of your light.”

Viktor had to leave soon after that, with the promise that he’ll be back on that exact spot. He didn’t know when, only that he’ll always be waiting whenever he had the chance.

Yuuri was hesitant at first to visit the lake again. It took him three days before he went back to where they spent their first night together. Viktor wasn’t there, that he expected. It only took him another two days before he decided to visit again, this time, staying way past sunrise. Still no sign of Viktor, and Yuuri was getting a little worried.

He figured Vikor wouldn’t come back so he let the matter drop and went back to his usual life. The next few days had been rough, and he was out on his first intergalactic mission as a captain. A small militia formed on an abandoned planet. It took his team a few days before they were finally able to take a hold of the situation, only returning home after the Armada finally sent in the backup they had been requesting two days into their mission.

He came home to an empty dorm room, expecting himself to be as good as asleep before he even reached his bed. Except he couldn’t. No matter how much he tossed and turned, sleep was nowhere near coming.

So he didn’t sleep. Instead, he put on his running shoes and a coat and went straight to the lake.

He never realized how anxious he was until he could feel the warmth of his chest relieve him a little bit of his worries.

“You came back,” Viktor said at the sight of Yuuri.

The younger man only smiled and took his place beside Viktor, this time placing his head on Viktor’s lap, finally comfortable enough to let slumber take him.  

\--

Prison was even worse than Yuuri remembered, but their shitty security system is still the same.

“We’re out, and we’ve got the package,” Viktor spoke through his comms.

“Can we not, maybe, call my soulmate ‘the package?’”

The man, Yuri’s soulmate, Otabek Altin, only grunted in response. Both of his hands were glowing at the sight of Yurio.

“What?” Yurio demanded.

Otabek looked away and boarded the ship without saying anything.

 

It was two days after when Yuri heard the other man say more than three words at a time to him.

The younger boy only stuck his tongue out at both Yuuri and Viktor, who gave him a look as he held Otabek’s hand and lead him towards the quarters. They went straight to Otabek’s room. If Yuri were to hear him talk again, they might need to be in a place that made Otabek felt safe and comfortable.

“You asked me if I liked cats,” said Yuri.

“Yes. You’re my soulmate; I wanted to know more about you.”

“And you thought it was best to start with asking me if I like cats?”

“You have a cat, don’t you?”

“That’s…not the point.” Yuri rubbed a hand on his face from frustration. “Look, you don’t talk to me properly for two days. It’s…this soulmate thing is a bit scary for me, y’know.”

“I’ve had these marks on my hands since I was ten. Mind explaining that? I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen you before.”

Otabek remained quiet, as if he was thinking long and hard to find the right words. He didn’t look Yuri in the eyes until the moment he spoke. When his words spilled, he never looked away. He locked their gazes together, steady, surely, like he’s afraid he’ll lose Yuri if his eyes strayed.

This was probably just the soulmate part talking, but Yuri couldn’t help but feel welcomed in the eyes of this stranger.

“I was thirteen,” Otabek started. “My old team and I were at a raid in this planet called Inferno.”

“That’s the planet I grew up in.”

“Yes. I was on lookout duty when I saw you. I didn’t understand any of this. The soulmate, the marks, so I ignored everything. Then you came and rescued me seven years later.”

“When the marks on my hand stopped moving, I had a feeling something was wrong. I told my captains and they told me that they quadrant they displayed only contained prisons.”

“Your captains have my gratitude.”

They say within the confines of the quiet of Otabek’s quarters.

“So.”

“So?”

“Do you like cats?”

“Holy shit, you’re impossible,” Yuri exclaimed, there wasn’t any venom in it. Only pure admiration.

This was probably what Katsudon meant when he gave Yuri advice. He wasn’t going to completely understand it at first. It’ll be scary. It’ll even be weird. But give it time, patience, a little bit of hard work, and it’ll pay off tenfold.

Their palms emitted a calming glow.

Otabek took Yuri’s hand, intertwined his fingers with Yuri’s. “Thank you for looking for me.”

“I thank the stars for leading me to you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos, comments, and concrit are appreciated! Also, come say hi to me on [my twitter](https://twitter.com/jvcobby)


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